Ashton Shawlette

I fear that lace knitting might become a serious addiction. I've even begun to re-think my ambivalence towards Kidsilk Haze. It is absorbing, and rewarding. Browsing the beautiful finished shawls on Ravelry is an extremely pleasant way to lose hours and hours of your life.

I present my first shaw effort: The Ashton Shawlette. My garment naming is seriously boring, I just go with the name of the pattern. Or, if I've made it before, add a sequel mark to it (eg Miette II). I'm not going to win any blogger awards, but I'm ok with that. 

My shawl(ette) is not made from laceweight mohair/silk, but sport weight (5ply) bamboo. And it is not a shawl, according to the pattern, it is officially a "shawlette". But I'm ok with that. The smaller size makes it more wearable, similar to a bolero, or a cropped cardigan, showing off an outfit, rather than dressing as a lady wearing a shawl. Plus, I can have it double as a scarf in the winter.

The yarn has been lurking in my stash for years. I love the colour and the sheen. It is a bit splitty, but I don't mind that, I like sharp needles anyway. The bamboo has the properties I like from cotton: it is rigid with great stitch definition, and drapes nicely, but with additional softness and the bonus sheen.

In a sport weight, the pattern begins by knitting up very fast. By the time I got to the more complicated parts, with larger rows, I was completely hooked.

The pattern instructions are very detailed. Almost too detailed for my simple mind. I can follow written or charted instructions as long as they are chronological. I found this one jumped around a lot. But once I had taken the time to sit down and get to grips with the instructions, they were helpful and I did learn new things about lace knitting and reading lace charts. The early stages of the shawl, in the bud pattern, are also really easy to memorise, so you are not spending the whole time reading the chart as you knit.

I sat up late finishing this for a special occasion. The binding off took me about an hour and a half! I wore it unblocked and, since I have blocked it, it does look really beautiful. I think a lace skirt or dress might be my next lace project. Shawls are incredibly beautiful, but where, oh where does one wear one?